Carlo Ratti: Rethinking Urban Life Through Nature, Technology, and AI

In this episode of The Century of the Cities, Carlo Ratti, Architect, Engineer, MIT professor, and Director of the Senseable City Lab, joins us to explore how data, design, and emerging technologies are reshaping urban life. Carlo reflects on the rise of the "big boom cities" and discusses how urbanization has evolved, from the moment global population tipped into majority-urban to today's era of shrinking populations, climate pressure, and the need for smarter, more adaptive cities. Carlo explains how real-time data, AI, and interdisciplinary research are transforming how we understand cities. He argues that the greatest breakthroughs will come from forging a new alliance between the natural and the artificial, and from embracing open, iterative, trial-and-error innovation.